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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

JP Taylor

 

DATE TYPED:

3/10/03

 

HB

354

 

SHORT TITLE:

Personal Responsibility Education Program

 

SB

 

 

 

ANALYST:

Dunbar

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

$310.0

 

 

Non-Recurring

GF

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of Bill

 

HB354 appropriates $310.0 from the General Fund to the Department of Health in fiscal year 2004 for the purpose of contracting with a health education program to educate low-income families on traditional family health care techniques, nutrition, home first aid and how to obtain necessary health care services.

 

     Significant Issues

 

Education on appropriate health measures that can be taken at home pertaining to first aid, nutrition, and use of other services can prevent costly emergency room visits and days missed from work or school due to illness. The bill would offer an opportunity to provide assistance to low-income families in making informed decisions regarding their own health.

 

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

 

Proposed Performance Measures for clients served by the program:

·       Percent of participants who report being able to make better health care decisions

·       Percent of participants who report fewer emergency department visits as a result of the program

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The appropriation of $310.0 contained in this bill is a expense to the general fund.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 04 shall revert to the general fund.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

 

The Maternal, Child, Adolescent and Family Section of the Family Health Bureau could manage this additional program with current staff resources.

 

TECHNICAL ISSUES

 

The language of the bill does not define “traditional”, which may be interpreted in different ways by people of different traditions.

 

HB354 does not specify which “health education program” might be considered.

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

Family education and improving access to health services are two needs mentioned often in County MCH Plans. Families may not know how to care for their child, or when to see a physician for preventive care, resulting in unnecessary emergency room visits, hospitalization for a condition that could have been managed as an outpatient, school absences, and missed days of work.

 

New Mexico has increasing numbers of children in poverty. According to the New Mexico Selected Health Statistics, in 2000, 1 in 4 children lived below the Federal Poverty Line. With limited income, families must make difficult choices between buying groceries or medicine.  If integrated into existing programs, this program could also provide opportunity for outreach and enrollment in Food Stamps and Medicaid.  Family education in health care and nutrition will help assure the best possible outcome in child health, development, education, and parental employment.

 

S.E.T. (Service, Empowerment, Transformation) of New Mexico is an organization that provides the services described in HB 354.  This program is in its 9th year of operation. They have served over 16,000 statewide participants providing them with personal health care training and education.  Results of surveys conducted with participants six months following their participation in training provide the following results:

 

·       66% indicate training saved them an emergency department visit

·       63% report using the training materials in their home

·       74% report feeling more confident to make health care decisions in their home

·       75% report fewer visits to the doctor

·       75% report more confidence communicating with their doctors.

 

States, including New Mexico, have implemented Community Health Workers and Promotoras Programs, which teach laypersons to conduct basic health care outreach in their local communities.   The Promotoras reach many of the uninsured, low income and immigrant populations who might otherwise not receive any health care services at all.

 

BD/njw:yr